Alienshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/8941/all
en8 Apps for UFO Spotting Enthusiastshttp://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/8_apps_ufo_spotting_enthusiasts
<!--paging_filter--><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u325188/2013/08/screen_16.png" width="620" height="465" /></p><p>We as a race only left our own planet for the first time a mere 52 years ago. Even as we explore further than we've previously been, there is still a vast amount of unknown that exists around us in outer space. With that comes plenty of mysteries, including one that has kept our eyes to the skies for some time now: Unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Our curiosity makes us wonder if we're alone, and UFOs may provide an answer. Such sightings are tracked by amateurs and professionals alike, and whether you're already a true believer or still a skeptic, you can join their ranks with the help of the eight apps we've gathered for UFO spotting.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/8_apps_ufo_spotting_enthusiasts#commentsGalleryaerospaceAliensAppLifeAppsiOSparanormalspacesupernaturalUFOsunidentified flying objectsiPadiPhoneiPodThu, 15 Aug 2013 20:05:35 +0000AJ Dellinger17786 at http://www.maclife.comXCOM: Enemy Unknown — Elite Edition Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/games/xcom_enemy_unknown_%E2%80%94_elite_edition_review
<!--paging_filter--><p><em>(XCOM: Enemy Unknown — Elite Edition has been selected as one of MacLife's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/25_best_mac_games_today" target="_self">25 Best Mac Games Today</a>!)</em></p><p>Resurrecting a beloved old gaming franchise for a modern audience seems like a challenging, thankless task. Even if you succeed in making something great, you run the risk of alienating existing fans if you stray too far from the original formula. When the alien-fighting strategy revival XCOM: Enemy Unknown was released last year on PC and consoles, however, it accomplished something we thought was impossible: It made just about everyone happy.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/05/xcom09_2.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Marking the first time the venerable strategy franchise has appeared on Mac, XCOM tasks players with running a clandestine, multinational anti-UFO agency at the dawn of a full-scale alien invasion of Earth. Your time is split between XCOM's underground headquarters, where you'll manage the agency's finances, direct research into alien technologies, and manufacture cool weapons and gadgets based on those technologies; and in the field, where you'll direct squads of soldiers through turn-based, semi-randomly generated tactical battles against alien death squads. That might sound complicated, but XCOM manages to make itself completely accessible to players of all stripes, with plenty of hand-holding for those who want it, options that can make the game insanely challenging for those who don't, and the freedom to advance the game's storyline at your own pace.</p><p>While the managerial stuff is important (and surprisingly involving), it's the battles that are the real meat of the game, and XCOM excels at creating tense, high-stakes confrontations. Your enemies — which range from stunted, "grey"-like creatures and mindless insectoid things to hulking brutes and mechanical horrors — are largely concealed by a fog of war, making cautious probing of your surroundings a huge part of battle. Your agents are fragile, especially at first, so any miscalculation (like deciding to sprint across an open field and end a turn with no cover nearby, say) can result in quick, demoralizing deaths.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/05/xcom13.jpg" width="620" /></p><p>As a bonus, the Mac version comes complete with all of the downloadable content released for other versions, including Slingshot, a three-mission mini-campaign you can choose to play in lieu of the randomized special missions handed down periodically by the shadowy "Council." In all, it's a fantastic package, although there's one notable caveat: Multiplayer. Admittedly a small part of the game, XCOM's multiplayer is a fun departure that lets players build a mixed human/alien squad and pit it against an opponent's. Playing online requires a separate app, GameRanger, which you might not find out about unless you read the game's included FAQ. Coupled with multiplayer's one-on-one structure, this means it can be difficult to find an opponent, although hopefully that'll improve as the game's user base grows.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Deeply involving, satisfyingly violent, and surprisingly emotional, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is fantastic whether you're a hardcore strategy fan or just dipping your toes in for the first time.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>XCOM: Enemy Unknown — Elite Edition</p> </div>
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Feral Interactive </div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.feralinteractive.com" target="_blank">www.feralinteractive.com</a></p> </div>
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$50 </div>
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<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, 2.0 Ghz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB VRAM (ATI X1xxx/HD2xxx, Intel GMA, NVIDIA 7xxx/8xxx not supported)</p> </div>
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<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>Hugely addicting mix of management sim and turn-based tactics. Extremely customizable.</p> </div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>Online multiplayer requires separate GameRanger app. Framerate can get a little choppy on lower-end Macs, although this isn't a serious detriment to gameplay.</p> </div>
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http://www.maclife.com/article/games/xcom_enemy_unknown_%E2%80%94_elite_edition_review#commentsGalleryReviewsAliensFeral InteractiveFiraxisGamesmac gamemac gamesOS X 10.7.5SoftwaresoftwareStrategytacticsX-COMXCOMXCOM: Enemy UnknownXCOM: Enemy Unknown — Elite EditionMacGamesFri, 03 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000Mikel Reparaz16919 at http://www.maclife.comGallery: Summer Movie Gameshttp://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/gallery_summer_movie_games
<!--paging_filter--><p>Watch almost any recent movie trailer and you'll see a website for the movie mentioned. That's just standard these days.</p><p>Still, the studios have been going overboard and developing a plethora of iOS games for upcoming movies. And now the time has come to separate the wheat from the chaff and to see which movie-based iOS games are worth the time it takes to download and install them to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, much less shell out a few bucks for the experience of playing. With that in mind, we bring you the Mac|Life Summer Movie Game Roundup,&nbsp; complete with an emperor-esque judgement system of thumbs up, thumbs down, and a few quick thoughts as to why...</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/gallery_summer_movie_games#commentsGallery3AliensAppLifeAppsCars 2Coca-ColaCowboysgamesGreen LanternhdiOSJudy MoodyMonkey vs. ChowRangoThortransformersTwilightiPadiPhoneiPodGamesTue, 05 Jul 2011 19:26:19 +0000Chris Barylick11576 at http://www.maclife.com